1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engine output condition informing system for a snow remover.
2. Description of the Related Art
Widely known in conventional practice are snow removers in which an internal combustion engine is mounted, a snow removal mechanism (such as auger or blower) is driven with the engine, and a travel mechanism (such as crawler) is also driven by the engine to allow the snow remover to be self-propelled, for example, as taught in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2001-20238.
In conventional practice, when a snow remover that drives the mechanisms by the engine output power is used, the operator experimentially determines the magnitude of the engine output power (i.e., load) on the basis of fluctuations in the engine noise or speed, and adjusts the operation of the snow removal mechanism or the travel mechanism so as not to deviate from the rated output power.
Aside from the above, for internal combustion engines installed in four-wheeled vehicles, a widely known art is one wherein the axial torque is detected from the twisting of the propeller shaft in the engine side and differential gear side, and the engine output is calculated based on the detected axial torque. Also proposed is an art wherein the axial torque is calculated based on the combustion pressure and speed of the engine, the oil temperature, and some similar parameters, as described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei 3(1991)-4922.
As described above, conventional snow removers have been inconvenient in that a large burden is imposed on the operator, since the operator must experientially determine the magnitude of the engine output power from fluctuations in the engine noise or speed. Since this approach relies on the operator's experience, it is not necessarily possible to accurately determine whether the engine output is within the range of the rated power, and there is a possibility that the engine will be overpowered, incurring damage in the power train, or that the output will fall below the rated power, inducing a decrease in operating efficiency.
Another possibility with determining the engine output condition is to utilize the detected or calculated engine output power or torque by the art relating to four-wheeled vehicles described above. However, this prior art has been inconvenient due to complicated configurations.